Exploring Personal and Relational Competencies for Enhancing Nursing Performance: Focusing on Communication Skills, Grit, and Leader–Member Exchange

Background: This study examined how clinical nurses’ communication competence, grit, and leader–member exchange (LMX) contribute to nursing performance, aiming to identify key predictors to support workforce development and organizational policy planning. Methods: This study was conducted as a descriptive correlation study targeting 190 clinical nurses working at a general hospital in S City. Data were collected through a self-report questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical regression analysis using the IBM SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results: On a 5-point scale, the mean score of nursing performance was 4.05. Communication skills (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), grit (β = 0.23, p = 0.002), and clinical experience (β = 0.18, p = 0.022) significantly affected nursing work performance, with communication skills having the greatest effect. This model explained 47.3% of the nursing performance. Conclusions: To improve the nursing performance of nurses, strengthening communication skills and grit, supporting professional development, and recognizing clinical experience are crucial. These findings suggest that integrating such programs into ward nurse training may contribute to improved nursing performance and organizational effectiveness. To develop these competencies and evaluate their effectiveness, follow-up research is continuously needed.